Justice League: War

Justice League: War
DVD cover
Directed by	Jay Oliva
Produced by	Sam Register James Tucker Alan Burnett
Screenplay by	Heath Corson
Based on	Justice League: Origin (2011–12)  by Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Scott WIlliams
Starring	Alan Tudyk Jason O'Mara Michelle Monaghan Justin Kirk Christopher Gorham Shemar Moore Sean Astin
Music by	Kevin Kliesch
Edited by	Christoper D. Lozinski
Production company	Warner Premiere Warner Bros. Animation DC Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Home Video
Release dates	February 4, 2014 (2014-02-04)
Running time	79 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3.5 million
Box office	$5,155,325[1]

Justice League: War is a direct-to-video animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero team the Justice League, and an adaptation of the story Justice League: Origin by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, the first story in DC's 2011 DC Universe reboot. It was directed by Jay Oliva, scripted by Heath Corson. It is the 18th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series and the first in a new series of shared DC Animated Universe Movies.^[2] The film was released for downloading on January 21^[3] and was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on February 4, 2014.^[4] It had its world premiere at the Paley Center for Media on the same day.^[5]

The film depicts an invasion of Earth by the alien Darkseid and the subsequent formation of the titular superhero team to counter it, which includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg and Shazam. A stand-alone sequel, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, was released in January 2015.

Plot

A series of strange abductions have occurred in Gotham City. Video footage suggests that Batman, a wanted, costumed vigilante, is behind the incidents. When a mysterious cloaked kidnapper abducts a woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) arrives to confront the kidnapper and saves the woman when she is dropped from above. Green Lantern then attacks the kidnapper, revealing it to be a monstrous Parademon. The creature defeats Green Lantern soundly, and as he is about to be killed, Batman appears and saves him. The Parademon then attacks both heroes. They escape from the city's police and chase the creature into the sewers, where it charges a Mother Box and explodes. Batman and Green Lantern examine the box, deduce that it is of extraterrestrial origin, and decide to ask Superman for an answer. Another Mother Box, supplied by The Flash (Barry Allen) is being studied at S.T.A.R. Labs. Doctor Silas Stone, father of Vic Stone, deliberately misses his son's football game so he can study the box. Arriving in Metropolis, Batman and Green Lantern fight Superman—who has fought a Parademon previously and believes the heroes are working with it. The battle spreads over a portion of the city; it finally stops when Batman calls Superman "Clark". Superman uses his x-ray vision and recognizes Batman as billionaire Bruce Wayne. The three heroes then begin to collaborate. On planet Apokolips, Darkseid orders Desaad to begin an invasion of Earth in response to the superheroes' discovery of his plans.

Vic arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs and argues with his father Silas, who believes that football has no importance in a world that is changing with the appearance of metahumans. At the Daily Planet, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern realize the invasion has begun when the box activates and several Boom Tubes appear throughout the world, including S.T.A.R. Labs. An explosion fatally wounds and embeds the Box's technology into Vic, forcing S.T.A.R. Labs to take Vic to an emergency room to save him. Silas loads Vic into a hi-tech medical bed, connecting his son with various technologies. Countless Parademons appear around the world, attacking everyone on sight. The box's technology is connected to Vic and the labs' equipment, transforming Vic into Cyborg. Just as the Flash arrives to save the scientists, Cyborg's systems reveal details of Apokolips, Darkseid, and the invasion plan. At his foster home, teenager Billy Batson sees a Parademon outside and mystically turns into the superhero Shazam. Air Force One is attacked in the air, but is saved by the Amazon princess Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) and Superman. After the heroes gather, Cyborg reveals that the invasion is a prelude to the terraforming of Earth. Darkseid arrives and proves to be a powerful opponent who defeats each hero effortlessly.

Superman is captured. Batman stops Green Lantern and persuades him to help the heroes work together after he unmasks himself. Wayne deliberately allows himself to be captured to save Superman. Green Lantern, acting as a leader, assembles everyone and decides that to defeat Darkseid they must destroy his eyes first, stripping him of his power to use his Omega Beams. Batman arrives on Apokolips and stops Desaad from turning Superman into a Parademon, but because of his brainwashing, Superman goes on a rampage, resulting in Desaad's death. Batman reasons with Superman, helping him reassert his own personality. On Earth, after Darkseid's eyes are disabled, Cyborg connects with the Mother Box to reopen the Boom Tubes and send the tyrant and his army back to their home world. Though the Parademons are gone, Darkseid remains. Superman and Batman arrive and together they force the tyrant into the portal. With the world saved, the once-maligned superheroes gain the public's trust and are honored at the White House. The President of the United States asks whether they have a name. Shazam abruptly announces the name "Super Seven", to which the others object.

In a mid-credits scene, an Atlantean ship emerges from the ocean and Ocean Master appears carrying the body of his king, presumably killed during the invasion, calling it an act of war from the surface, for which he vows retribution.

Cast

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Justice League: War was released on February 4, 2014. The music was composed by Kevin Kliesch.^[6]

Tracklist

Reception

Justice League: War received a positive response. IGN gave a total score of 8.8/10, calling it a "great modern origin story that will win you over with its action and humour".^[7] CraveOnline gave it a rating of 9.0/10.^[8] Conversely, Brian Lowry of Variety believes it did not reach the high standards of other DC Animated Movies; he wrote, "the interplay yields its share of moments but ultimately proves too frenzied and chaotic to deliver more than a few revisionist thrills".^[9]

Sequel

A follow-up, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis featuring Matt Lanter as Aquaman / Arthur Curry, was released on January 2015 with several of the first film's cast reprising their roles; notable changes include Alan Tudyk, Michelle Monaghan, and Justin Kirk, who will be replaced by Jerry O'Connell, Rosario Dawson, and Nathan Fillion in the roles of Superman / Clark Kent, Wonder Woman / Diana Prince, and Green Lantern / Hal Jordan, respectively.

References

External links

• Justice League: War at the Internet Movie Database